[digital-audiophile]

I don't think that it is the same thing, but it is looking to have a similar impact on life in Alberta.

I am not against all Albertan's getting their fair share (even the ones that have just moved here let alone people like me that have been in the province for 30 years) but I just don't think this was the right time to do this. If the Stelmach governemtn stopped and looked at what has been goignon in the oilpatch in 2007 it might have reconsidered their changes. Drilling has been on a decline, costs have been running overboard and finding good quality staff has been hard.

The Alberta oilpatch was heading into a downturn already, the new royalty regime just puts the icing on the cake and will make it difficult for the oilpatch to get out of the slump. A downturn that may have only lasted though 2008, not is not looking like it will recover until into 2010.

The problem is that too many people are only listening to what the popular media has to say and not doing their own research. Heck it was only until a couple weeks ago that the local news stopped reffering to Alberta as "booming" inside the industry we have seen the slowdown starting 18+ months ago.